Vehicle instrumentation often includes a plurality of indicator lights, each indicator light indicating a status or condition of a selected component of the vehicle. A lens is associated with each indicator light. Each lens has an icon on the lens which indicates a status or condition of the component with which the indicator light is associated. For instance, a indicator light associated with a gas tank fuel gauge is associated with a lens having an icon of a gas pump on the lens. The indicator light goes on when the gas tank fuel gauge senses a near empty gas tank, thereby illuminating the lens and revealing to the user the icon and the status of the fuel tank.
In previously developed instrument assemblies, a front face of the instrument assembly is printed with a large number of icons, the icons representing all possible options a user could purchase. A plurality of indicator lights are then placed in the instrument assembly behind the icons associated with the options actually purchased. Although effective, these previously developed instrument assemblies are not without their problems.
For instance, one instrumentation assembly is manufactured having all possible icons and a socket disposed behind each icon for receiving a light bulb. Then for users who do not purchase all possible options, the sockets associated with the non-purchased options are not filled with a light bulb and remain empty. Thus, the instrumentation assembly is overbuilt for most users. Further, if a new option is developed not available at the time of manufacture, the icons of the instrument assembly cannot be edited or changed to accommodate the new option. Also, since the front face of the instrument panel is not easily removed from the instrument panel, when the instrument panel must be removed and taken apart to remove the front face, a significant amount of labor is expended. Additionally, in previously developed instrument assemblies, during installation, often either the lens, icons, or the front face itself are mistakenly oriented incorrectly during installation, and thus must be removed and replaced or reoriented.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an instrument assembly that is editable so that the instrument assembly can be edited to have only the icons that specifically match the options purchased. Further, there exists a need for an instrument assembly that is editable so that if an option is added to the vehicle, the icons of the instrument assembly can be easily edited to accommodate the added option. Additionally, there exists a need for an instrument assembly wherein the lenses can be easily removed from the instrument panel. Further still, there exists a need for an instrument assembly that is resistant to the parts being installed in the wrong orientation during installation.